Dickson plays in another close LCC contest

Dickson has proved itself a resilient bunch this season. So has Plainview.

By Erik K. Horneerik.horne@ardmoreite.com

Dickson has proved itself a resilient bunch this season. So has Plainview.

In the past week, however, the Lake Country Conference rivals have experienced opposite results on the softball spectrum.

For the second day in a row, Dickson fell in a close contest, a 6-5 loss to Plainview on Tuesday. The Comets have dropped their last three games by three runs or less, including Monday's eight-inning thriller to Lone Grove, 12-9.

As for Plainview (15-10), the Indians are on a five-game winning streak. After the Comets (12-15) tied the game at 5-5 with a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth, Plainview's Jade Southerland countered with a game-winning RBI single to left field.

Southerland had struggled at the plate before her key hit lifted the Indians' spirits again.

"I didn't really hit good at the beginning, but I came through when it counted," the senior first baseman said. "And scoring the last run feels good.

"It's our last game playing Dickson. That's a good way to end it right there."

The Indians have tacked on some quality wins over the past week, defeating three Class 5A schools in their own tournament last weekend at Ardmore Regional Park, including a 10-1 win over No. 6 Duncan.

Tuesday's victory was much closer, but no less significant.

"The girls seem to be turning it on right at the right time going into districts next week," Plainview coach Alicia Foster said. "You can't ask for anything more than that, them working hard and going for a win."

The Indians and Comets had five separate lead changes between them. Payton Rowe's RBI groundout briefly put Dickson ahead in the bottom of the fourth, but Kaylee Roskam laced an RBI double to left center and Tiphani Napier followed with a one-out double to give Plainview back the lead.

Taryn Callender's sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth put Plainview ahead 4-2, and another run crossed home on a throwing error for the 5-2 cushion going into the sixth.

But after Monday's heart-stopper with Lone Grove, Dickson knew how to stayed composed with six outs left.

Comets coach David Gardner said all he could tell his team after two tough losses was to "keep fighting."

"We come to the ballpark and fight every day til the last out," Gardner said. "That's what we've done the last two days, it just hasn't come out in our favor."

Trailing 5-2 in the sixth, Dickson put five consecutive runners on base to tie the game. Jasmine Clayton, Bryanne Knox and Abby McLaughlin each had consecutive RBI singles with the bases loaded.

Dickson's Madison Rozzell was winning the battle of impact freshmen against Plainview pitcher Tayte Sampson until the sixth inning. Prior to the sixth, Rozzell was 3-for-3, including a solo home run to deep center field to tie the game 1-1 in the third.

But Sampson struck out Rozzell with the bases loaded in the sixth, then got Janay Marks to ground out, escaping the inning with the game tied at 5-all.

"We're swinging the bats well," Gardner said. "We've just got to put together all facets of the game. We've got to put together offense, defense ... we've got to do a better job of getting hits when we need them."

Sampson, Napier and Megan Shelton each had two hits, and Roskam drove in two runs for Plainview.

Tori Crook had three hits, and Nikki Faulkner, Jessica Smith, Knox and McLaughlin each had two hits apiece for Dickson. Peyton Stanley struck out seven in the circle for the Comets.